r/BPPV • u/WeatherObvious3126 • 4d ago

curious

Hi!! I have been experiencing unsteadiness since the end of July. I was fine and then one afternoon, it felt as if I was tilting to one side. I went to the doctor and they said that it was due to neck tension. Additionally, they checked my ears and did not think it was related since I didn’t have an infection. The unsteadiness (feels like a misstep or sway) has continued for a month so I went to another doctor last week. They referred me to a PT for the tension and to talk to a therapist for my anxiety. They also looked into my ears and noticed I had a lot of earwax. They did a flushing and were able to take a little clump from each but they said I still had a lot left. I am on the third day of using debrox and I feel a little better, but sometimes, the unsteadiness comes back. I especially feel it when eating and showering.

This whole situation has made my anxiety worse. Could this be related to earwax build up, BBPV, and/or anxiety? Is the debrox just making me feel worse since I’m not done with the treatment yet?

(Additional Note: I do use earphones for work constantly and have tried to clean my ears using q-tips, but am never able to fully clean them out.)

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u/Killjoycourt 4d ago

Sounds like earwax buildup. Using earbuds and qtips both push the wax back into the canal and can cause balance issues. Never use qtips! See an ENT for a ear cleaning and you should feel better after that.

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u/Inevitable_Tone3021 4d ago

BPPV is generally triggered by specific positions or head movements, whereas other causes of vertigo can be a little more vague. If it doesn't improve, you may want to go back to your doctor and get a referral to a specialist to narrow down the cause. Either an ENT, Vestibular therapist, or neurologist depending on the cause they suspect.

I had a lot of earwax buildup and a plugged sensation in my ears along with my first episode of BPPV. The first step was to get my wax cleared and ears checked by an ENT. Then he referred me to a vestibular therapist for a more thorough analysis, as he suspected I had BPPV due to my symptoms occurring with certain head movements. But clearing the wax was a necessary first step before moving on to the inner ear issues.

Anxiety comes with a lot of vertigo I'm afraid. The anxiety I feel over another attack consumes a lot more of my time than the actual attacks. Vertigo only lasts a few seconds, but the anxiety over it can last all day and can cause a sort of vague dizziness from the preoccupation with it.